Stephen Doyle

Bio

Stephen Doyle is a member of Backwater Artist Studios, Cork, Ireland. The artist is exploring issues of queer identity through the relationship between figuration and the politics of representation. Doyle makes figurative depictions of LGBTQIA+ people, and can include objects in the paintings, a gesture of ‘othering’ the art that mirrors the subject matter it investigates.

Painting, and portraiture in particular, is associated with the iconography of power (for example politicians and religious figures), and consequently with mainstream worldviews, of which queer identity and culture have always been excluded. By invoking them, Doyle makes an ironic comment on the subalternisation of the existence of the LGBTQIA+ community, and simultaneously does their part to illuminate it. Recently their research has expanded into exploring disparate social or moral panics. Constructing compositions acting as conduits for viewers, inviting them to unravel the ideological forces at play and to consider how minority groups are routinely positioned as scapegoats for political or capitalist agendas.

Doyle is a graduate of Crawford College of Art and Design (2017). Their work was acquired by Crawford Art Gallery twice over, the piece, ‘Dylan is ainm dom…’ is the first piece in the National Collection to openly discuss transgender/queer identity. They are a recipient of two international art prizes ‘Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize’ & ‘Sunny Art Prize’. Also, secured residencies with Harmony Art Gallery (Shanghai) and Tyrone Guthrie. Further to this they have had multiple solo exhibitions at SO FIne Art Editions (2019) Triskel Arts Centre (2020) Kilkenny Arts Festival (2022). As well as being selected for prestigious group exhibitions such as the Zurich Portrait Prize, NGI (2018) GENERATION 22 – New Irish Painting, Butler Gallery (2022), The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, London (2022) and Still, We Gather at the Galway Arts Centre (2025/26). They’ve had a dual exhibition in the Highlanes Gallery ‘Dysphoric Euphoria’ and produced a publication of the same title.

Recently they have been granted the Visual Art Bursary Award (2020/26) by the Arts Council of Ireland. Recipient of the Anita Young Bursary at the Royal Hibernian Academy’s 196th Annual Exhibition and work acquired by Cork City Council permanent collection.